77 



pores, in which it differs from brocchim. The specimen 



figured rather exceeds six inches in length, but there are 



others somewhat larger, and one only about half the size. 



Hab. Auckland ' 



Galaxias FASCIATUS. Gray. 



. Galaxias fasciatus, Giav, Dieffenbacb's New Zealaud, Append, p. 

 219. An. 1842. Cuv. et Val. xviii. p. 350. An. 1846. 



This species was described briefly by Mr. Gray, in the 

 work above quoted, and subsequently in the '■Histoire des 

 Poissoiis;' fortunately under the same specific designation, 

 though M. Valenciennes does not seem to have been at all 

 aware of Mr. Gray's prior notice of the species. 



Hab. River Thames. Bay of Islands. 



Galaxias alepidotus. Forster [Esoj:). 



Esox alepidotus, J. R. Forster, MSS. II, 62, apud Bl. Schn. p. 

 395, An. 1801 ; Desciipt. Aniin. ciiia Lichtenst. p. 142, An. 1844 ; G. 

 Forster, fig-, pict. 2, t. 235 in Bib. Banks. 



Galaxias alepidotus, Cuv. Reg. An. 2, p. 283 ; Ricbardson, Dieffenb. 

 Xew Zealand, App. p. 219, An. 1842. 



Galaxias forsleri, Cuv. et Val. xviii. p. 351, 1847. 



This fish being an inhabitant of Dusky Bay, in the 

 southern pai't of New Zealand, which is seldom visited, 

 does not appear to have been brought to Europe since 

 Forster's time. The figure represents a fish having the 

 general form of G. retictilntus, but differing in its mark- 

 ings. The ground tint of the drawing is greenish black, 

 with waved spots of various sizes, none of them large. 

 They are most numerous, rounder and smaller on the tail ; 

 congregated, lunate and irregular on the flanks ; rounder 

 again on the shoulder, and one of them over the pectoral 

 forms a ring, with a spot in the centre. A few small, 

 round spots exist on the side of the head and base of the 

 dorsal. All beneath the spots which do not reach the 

 belly is whitish. The spots are yellow and the ventral 

 fins blackish. The second dorsal is high, commences be- 

 fore the anal, but does not reach nearly so far back. 



Length 9 inches. 



Hab. Dusky Bay, New Zealand. Named " He-para " 

 by the natives, and "Rock-trout" by Cook's sailors. 



Atherina nigricans. Richardson. 



Radii:— Br. 5.?; D. 7— 1|13; A. \\\b; C. 17 ; P. 15; 

 V. 1|5. 



Plate XLl I., figs. 13—18. 



This is an elongated species, the height of the body, 

 which is greatest near the veutrals, being contained about 

 eight times in the total length, while the thickness consi- 

 derably exceeds half the height. Head forming rather 

 more than a sixth of the total length, slightly convex in 

 profile and also transversely. Mouth small, the gape 

 scarcely reaching half-way to the eye. Jaws equal. Pre- 

 maxillaries moderately protractile, the maxillary remain- 

 ing near the edge of the preorbitar, but in no way con- 



cealed by it. This bone is straight and slightly dilated 

 towards its lower end, which plays over the limb of the 

 lower jaw. The appearance of curvature given to it in 

 figure 14 is caused by the projection of the snout or pos- 

 terior lip at its head and an edging of membrane at its ti]). 

 It is, however, rather pointed than truncated at the end, 

 but differs widely in its shape from the maxilla of A. liep- 

 selu.s. The side of the head is densely scaly up to the 

 margin of the gill-opening, the snout, jaws and gill-mcni- 

 brane being scaleless. Rows of pores run along the edge 

 of the preorbitar, the lower jaw, under limb of the preo- 

 pevculum and immediately beneath the orbit. 



The upper and under jaws are armed with plates of 

 short, villiform teeth, visible to the naked eye ; the whole 

 surface of the tongue is densely rough with still shorter 

 teeth, but the roof of the mouth is toothless. I could de- 

 tect only five rays in the gill-membrane, but it is possible 

 that a minute, interior one may have escaped me. The 

 pectoral is attached about the middle of the height, and 

 equals a sixth of the length of the fi.sh. The first dorsal 

 is small, being only half the height of the body, and its 

 last ray stands about midway between the tip of the snout 

 and end of the caudal fin. Its first ray is opposed to the 

 ventrals. The second dorsal begins a .short way behind 

 the middle of the fish, caudal included, and its first ray is 

 short and flexible, the others being jointed and branched. 

 The anal is longer and deeper than the second dorsal, 

 reaching rather farther back and beginning before it and 

 not far from the anus by a short, flexible, simple ray. The 

 ventrals ai'e small, with a pointed, scaly fillet between and 

 above them. They are attached not far from the com- 

 mencement of the second third of the fish. The caudal is 

 excavated at the end, and consists of seventeen rays, with 

 an acute, membranous edge at the base above and below, 

 supported by several short rays. 



There are about eighty-eight scales in a row, between 

 the gill-opening and caudal ; the individual scales are ver- 

 tically and obtusely oval, with a rounded lobe forming the 

 apex of the free edge. The covered part is marked by 

 coarse lines of structure, with no radiating fuiTows, and 

 having entire edges. 



The general colour is a smoky black, with a silvery 

 stripe along the middle, and the nacre of the scales shin- 

 ing partially through the black elsewhere. 



Length 7 inches. 



Hab. The Falkland Islands. 



Dajaus forsteri. 



Mugil albula, J. R. Forster, Descripl. Aniin. cuni Lichtenst. p. 145. 

 Icon. pict. G. R. Forster, Bibl. Banks. No. 237. 

 Mugil forsteri, Cuv. et Val. 



Radii:— B. 6; D. 4|— 1|9; A. 3111; C. 14f. 



Plate XLIV., figs. 20— 2G. 



This species is nearly related to the Dajaus diemensis, 

 of plate 26, figures 1 —5, but it has still less of the massive 

 proportions of the head which characterize a true Mugil, 

 and has much of the general aspect of a clupeoid fish. It 



